Hunger in Somalia : Commission steps in with food and medical aid

In Mogadishu, one child out of four is very severely malnourished. The city is home to tens of thousands of people fleeing long-running conflict, and it has been particularly hard hit by a new wave of food shortages. Floods and the frequent closure of Mogadishu's port have compounded the city's difficulties.

The European Union is making available 505,000 ECU to fund food and medical aid in Mogadishu. The European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) will work with Action Internationale Contre la Faim (France) and Médecins sans Frontières-Spain on projects that will last up to six months.

They will step up work in already existing Mother and Child Healthcare Centres by boosting feeding programmes there. They will also set up intensive feeding centres for very severely affected children. Mobile health clinics and health education programmes for about 50,000 people in camps are an essential part of this programme.